Harrisonville takes care of its own during winter weather

The Author
Briana Chiodini

Published online
January 18, 2019 3:16pm

Last updated
January 24, 2019 3:03pm

On Friday evening, January 11, a growing snow storm struck Kansas City metro-area towns, including Harrisonville. By Saturday morning, 8-10 of snow covered the ground, and about half of Harrisonville’s citizens had lost their power.

Alexis Royal, senior, stated that her family’s power was out all day Saturday. “The temperature in our house was down to 53 degrees, so we bundled up in tons of blankets to stay warm,” she said.

According to the Harrisonville Police Department, three out of the five electrical circuits had gone down.

Amid this power outage crisis, the citizens of Harrisonville responded in a big way. The Harrisonville Community Center opened its doors to anyone who needed to get warm or cook food for their families, completely free of charge. Dana Johnson, the aquatics director for the Community Center, commented about the center aiding those in need.

“It provides for those who need the help, and it lets them know that we will do whatever we can to help them,” Johnson said. “I think it makes us a better community as a whole.”

The community definitely appreciated the help that was offered. Many families showed up to charge phones, heat up food, keep warm, and even watch the Chiefs bring home the victory.

Emma England, senior, commented, “The service of the Community Center helped a lot of people out, and it was a great idea. This can inspire other communities to react in the same way to a crisis.”